forced to dig @ - @ in overnight after coming under heavy small arms and artillery fire and losing four killed and five wounded . the attack was resumed the following day , and the australians were able to advance to the por ##ore ##i ford ; however , they were prevented from moving any further as the japanese were still concentrated in large numbers further to the west where an australian patrol encountered 70 japanese and were forced to go to ground . finally , a company from the 24th infantry battalion was able to move on to the high ground on egan ' s ridge , which they found to be heavily mined and boo ##by trapped . engineers and assault pioneers were called up to
forced to dig @ - @ in overnight after coming under heavy small arms and artillery fire and losing four killed and five wounded. the attack was resumed the following day, and the australians were able to advance to the pororei ford ; however, they were prevented from moving any further as the japanese were still concentrated in large numbers further to the west where an australian patrol encountered 70 japanese and were forced to go to ground. finally, a company from the 24th infantry battalion was able to move on to the high ground on egan's ridge, which they found to be heavily mined and booby trapped. engineers and assault pioneers were called up to